Its not like you do not have options. Remember, this is only for the provider of the site. Of you provide the site as private person, then yes, it sucks. But founding an Ltd (or GbR in Germany) and having a corporate address isn't that difficult if you are really serious about the site.
You can see it the other way around, too. Those victims finally get the privacy protection they need to be able to discuss their problems online. The provider of the site has to be very careful to protect those users. And that is a good thing for them, because the last thing you want as a victim of such horrible crimes is your private data leaking, either due to carelessness or malice of the provider.
The thing is that nobody forces you to provide the service, you do that on your own volition. But if you choose to do so, the protection of your users is weighed more importantly then yours. The good of the many...
Well my example was hypothetical, but I'm sure it did happen though. World full of crazies remember lol. I'm just trying to understand it all better I guess. Because there's a lot of grey area or fine tooth combing that needs addressed in there.
Another example, I knew a female years ago that was abused by her exhusband and since she and he divorced, filed charges against him etc, she relocated to another State in the USA to get away from him with her kids. Since her ordeal with exhusband the abuser, she's been vocal about it all. Posting anti-abuse memes, and support memes for females etc in her flickr account, facebook, website, etc.
Now female abuse is global issue, not just America. If she ran a site geared towards anti-abuse and anti-bullying, and wrote about her ordeal with her exhusband. Does she need to disclose her name and address on her site, if females from EU that were also abused and joined her site? Which basically gives her exhusband full access to her new location, address, etc?
Or if you run a personal rant wordpress blog (where users from globe can join), ranting about how your whore which wife slept with a cousin or brother, or rants in general. Rather than resort to beating up exwife or murdering her for her actions, he voices "verbally online" about the slut she is. Does the site owner have to put full name and address? Of course, the rant blog is only outlet and means for the owner to voice themselves about what was done to them, which was hurtful, and trying to keep anonymity? Guess that's out window too?
LTDs, or sites that are stores that accept payments for memberships or selling products I can see no problem having your name and address public. But guess main question is about personal /hobby sites, if it's required or not?
I'm not sure what you all have experienced, but english speaking users are the only ones who are concerned about being harassed as admins.
Well, it's not me, but again throwing out hypothetical scenarios because it's bound to happen. Trying to understand this a little better. Guess for too many years Americans lived under anonymity, they could do anything they wanted under the name "anonymous" and feel they don't need held accountable for their actions. And this new policy totally goes against it, so of course there's going to be lashing out about it.
Guess Germans don't attack each other much on hobby forums or person sites because your name and address is out there to public. So live in fear and kept in check on what's written by yourselves online and how you handle yourselves. "Oh noes, I best be good boy/gal, and watch what I say online because otherwise I pay consquences." type thing. In America, um yeah, that didn't happen and no one is really held accountable for nothing.
Example;
Ex-abusive-husband's friend - Hey John, your exwife that you abused years ago, started a site and posted about you and your abuse to her for years on her new site. I just googled your exwife's name, and pops up is her site.
Ex-abusive-husband named John - Thanks buddy for letting me know about her site. I'll check it out, and see where she's currently living now. With new privacy laws in place, it's required she posts her new address and etc. I'll go find her, beat her ass, and silence her for good this time (murder her).
Victim - I have no voice, I have no way to voice myself, unless it's at expense of my privacy, and location etc. The abuser gets to do what he wants, and I can't say/voice self about it all.. I'm just supposed to be silenced about my ordeal. He wins yet again, and I lost again.